


A Tangled Adventure

by irlquicksilver



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Tangled (2010)
Genre: (That comes later tho dw), Alternate Universe, Emotional Manipulation, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Temporary Character Death, bad dad ardyn, hi I'm obsessed with tangled and promptis, iedolas is a good person for once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:13:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22520815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irlquicksilver/pseuds/irlquicksilver
Summary: Prompto's been trapped in a tower his whole life. When he finds an opportunity to leave, if only for a few days, he takes it. Noctis doesn't really know how or why he's gotten wrapped up in this adventure involving bandits, a manipulative father, and a life sentence in prison if something were to go wrong. But in this situation, he really has no choice but to go along with it.Oh, also Prompto has 70 feet of magical white hair. That part's probably important, isn't it?
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Prompto Argentum & Ardyn Izunia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO this is very impulsive because I absolutely adore Tangled and I adore Promptis so like??? This was bound to happen lmao
> 
> I havent wrote in a while so sorry if I seem rusty! I'm very excited to get this out!!!!

Once upon a time, long before humans roamed Eos; there grew a pristine, white flower. It grew on a secluded cliff side for centuries, unable to wilt. You see, it was no ordinary flower, but a magical flower.

If the existence of the flower was common knowledge, it'd be considered a blessing. But it wasn't, for a selfish and very determined man spent his life keeping it from others.

His name was Ardyn Izunia, and his one true wish in life was to stay young forever. To ensure this, he used the flower to keep the appearance of a thirty-year-old man, and made sure no one knew about this secret. He had no intentions of sharing this flower with anyone.

You see, the only thing he had to do to stay young was be near the flower and sing a special song of his own design. Once the song was concluded, he would find himself young once more. He had been doing this for centuries, and not even a mouse had caught wind of his special flower.

That is, until an empress of a neighboring empire fell ill while she was pregnant. The emperor hired only the best and capable of doctors – both local and from far and wide – to attempt to save his wife, but to no avail. She was destined to die.

The emperor, wrecked with grief, searched desperately for a cure. For months, nothing came up. Until one day, something was finally discovered.

Ardyn's secret wasn't as hidden as he would like it to be, for the empire soon heard legends about an all-powerful flower, said to be able to heal anyone. The empire searched and searched, until finally...

They found the flower.

Ardyn watched as guards and commoners alike unearthed the flower and carried it away.

He knew the reason of the flower's unearthing far too well, but that didn't stop the overwhelming hatred consuming his soul. In his mind, the flower belonged to him and him alone. The empire was nothing but thieves stealing his property.

He devised a plan. A deplorable plan that required much patience out of him, but of course, the man was alive for ten thousand years. He could afford to wait a few mere months.

While Ardyn waited, the emperor used the power of the flower to heal his wife. And much to the delight and relief of everyone, it worked. The empress healed, and gave birth to a healthy, baby boy with pristine white hair. They didn't find this odd, for they soon realized that the boy was blessed with the same powers the flower that saved his mother's life had. The named their precious son Prompto, and the kingdom rejoiced.

To commemorate the miracle, the emperor and empress lit thousands of lanterns and watched as they soared into the sky, the empire celebrated for days: for they have never seen such a miracle.

They failed to realize that as quickly as a miracle can happen, it can be taken away just as swiftly as it appeared.

After the festivities, the kingdom fell into much needed sleep the night after the parties ended. That's when Ardyn enacted his plan.

When all was quiet, Ardyn snuck into the resting room of the royal couple and their son. His smile was mad as he looked down upon the sleeping prince.

_Flower gleam and glow,_

_Let your power shine_

The prince's hair begun to glow an ethereal white. Ardyn took a strand of his hair and raised the scissors.

_Make the clock reverse..._

He cut the strand of hair, but something went wrong.

The strand stopped glowing, its color going from white to a pale blond. Ardyn gasped in horror, almost dropping the scissors.

He looked to the prince and saw that the remaining strand of hair also turned to a pale blond. He had to change his plan, it was apparent that if the hair was cut it would lose its power.

He felt no remorse for what he was about to do. For his selfishness run so deep within him he was willing to do anything to keep himself young.

The royal couple awoke to the sound of Prompto crying, and watched in horror as Ardyn climbed over the railing of the balcony, glared at them, and disappeared – almost as if he were a ghost.

They called for guards, and the kingdom stayed awake for weeks to find the missing prince. But there was no evidence of a break-in at all, Ardyn really did disappear from the public eye like a ghost.

Once again, the emperor was wrecked with grief. The empress didn't fare any better, for she soon died of grief just a few months after the kidnapping of the prince. The emperor was broken: for just in such a short span of time, his family was taken away from him.

He considered following his wife into the embrace of death, but a small part of him clung onto hope: his son was alive, and he would return one day.

So, every year on the prince's birthday, he continued the tradition of lighting lanterns into the sky for both his lost son and his late wife. He prayed every year that wherever his son was, he could see them, and he would find his way back home.

What he didn't know, is that the lost prince could see them perfectly well from the walls of a hidden tower deep within the woods.

After Ardyn kidnapped the prince, he raised him as if he were his own. From the moment Prompto could think for himself, Ardyn had been teaching him that the outside world was a terrible place, and that he should never leave.

He was willing to manipulate the boy in order to keep his precious flower safe.

But even if the walls of the tower hid the outside world, it could not hide the lanterns. Prompto watched them in secret, mesmerized by the distant lights. He felt there was more to them, but it wasn't like he could just leave to see for himself what they were.

So for seventeen years straight, he watched the lanterns and wished that once – _just_ once – he could see them in person.

He wished he could leave his tower.


	2. Chapter One: Big Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He expected complete darkness on the other side, but in the distance he saw a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked the rest of the way. What could be on the other side?
> 
> He emerged from the other side, and the light blinded him for a moment. He covered his eyes and waited for them to adjust.
> 
> That's when he saw it. A tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was like 20 pages long AHAHA I kinda went feral on this chapter. I wasn't expecting it to be so long but?? I hope you enjoy!

A window to a secluded tower opened, and a young man sat atop the sill as he let his hair fall down and down and down, just barely touching the ground. He sighed as he ran a brush through it, humming a nonsensical tune of his own design.

Today, his father would be returning. He didn't really know where he went, but he always returned with a basket full of food for them to share, so he never really complained. Prompto sighed again, pulling his hair up to brush the rest of it. When it first started getting longer, he had to take many breaks to brush all of it, but now he could do it with little problems.

“There really isn't anything stopping me, is there...” He mused quietly, looking at the ground below. He often fantasized about just leaving the tower, but...

“The world is dangerous, and father would be _furious._ ” He leaned his head back with a sigh. So, nope. Just like always, he decided against leaving. Behind him, his clock chimed and he groaned, swinging his feet back into the safety of the tower.

“I hear ya! Sheesh...” He stood, closing the window behind him. “Well, time to do chores...”

He often talked to himself in this way, it's not like he ever really had anyone else to talk to when his father was gone. When he was younger, he felt very lonely, but he soon grew used to it. It wasn't that bad, anymore.

The interior of the tower looked like any cozy, welcoming home. A nice living area with a fireplace is what greeted him and made him smile. Home sweet home. He looked at the walls, observing the paintings on the walls that have quickly increased over the years. His father wasn't too keen on buying him new canvases, but surprisingly allowed him to paint whatever he wanted on the walls.

He grabbed his broom and huffed. His morning routine officially began as he swept all the dust from the floor, then polished it up by mopping. To make it a bit more fun, he liked to either hum or sing to himself. After the floor was done, he dusted every nook and cranny of the tower, making extra sure he didn't miss a spot. Once he was done, he looked over his handiwork and nodded, satisfied.

Then, it was the laundry. He grabbed his own clothes from his room and then his father's clothes. He washed them by hand, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It wasn't a long process, and in no time the clothes were folded and put away neatly.

He then busied himself with far less important tasks: polishing, waxing, and preparing the table for him and his father when he returned. By the end of it all, he was sweating and leaning on the wall next to clock. Curiously, he glanced at it.

_7:15_

“Oh, would ya look at that!” He exclaimed between breaths, “That's a new record!”

His joy was replaced with uncertainty. What now?

That was the hardest part, trying to entertain himself without going outside. He made do before, and he didn't expect to stop anytime soon. He decided to read the three new books his father had chosen for him, but he blew through them very quickly. He put them back on the shelf, then he was back at square one.

He tried to bake a pie for his father to eat when he returned, but it didn't take as long as he thought it would. So, he baked cookies for himself. But...that also didn't take up much time. With a disappointed feeling, he nibbled on a cookie.

“There's gotta be _something._ ” He groaned, not caring if his mouth was full. His eyes roamed the walls, “It's not like there's any room...”

His eyes fell above the fireplace. His eyes widened, closing one as he held his thumb up. He turned it this way and that, and gasped happily.

“There's room!” His half eaten cookie was discarded on the plate with the rest as he raced up to his room, almost tripping on his way up. He almost ripped the curtains separating his resting place from the rest of the tower off as he barreled in, grabbing his supplies and racing down as quickly as he raced up. He climbed atop the fire place, shoving the mantle piece aside.

It was perfect for what he wanted to paint. He dipped his brush into an inky black paint, and began his work.

…

Elsewhere, far beyond the tower, three men prepared for the biggest day of their lives. They were thieves, and they had their eyes on one certain prize:

The crown that was meant for the lost prince, if he were still around.

The men scaled walls, climbed and jumped over columns, slid down slanted roofs, all out of sight from the numerous guards patrolling the area. They soon got to their destination: the roof that they knew was above the throne room. One raven haired thief looked down to make sure they weren't spotted, but was distracted by the view he was met with.

“Damn.” He said with a low whistle, “I could get used to a view like this.”

“Ray!” A blond haired thief hissed, attempting to get his attention. Ray held a hand up, silencing him.

“Wait....okay, I'm used to it.” He said, stepping back, “Guys, we should get a castle.”

“Well, if you'll actually do your job, we could buy _hundreds_ of castles!” The thief hissed again. He grabbed Ray by the collar, dragging him back.

“Damn it, Loqi!” Ray hissed, “You're choking me!”

“Well I _wouldn't_ if you were competent eno-”

“Stop it.” Said a man with platinum hair. Ray and Loqi looked up at their official-unofficial leader: Ravus. They looked at each other sheepishly, then back to Ravus.

“Sorry.” They said in unison. Ravus held up a rope.

“We don't have time to fight like children, get a move on!”

Ravus and Loqi tied the rope around Ray's torso and opened a panel in the roof. The three men looked down to see guards surrounding the prized crown. Ray gulped, then nodded towards his companions.

With satchel in hand, Ray was lowered down and down into the throne room. Very quietly, he grabbed the crown and put it into his satchel. He blinked. Since when was this so damn easy? If he were merely a spectator, he would be dying laughing.

His thoughts were interrupted when a guard in front of him sneezed. The man sniffing as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

“Bless you.” Ray said, a smirk on his face.

“Thanks.” The guard said absentmindedly. Ray was already pulled up and running when the guard realized what was happening.

“Hey! Get back here! Wait, damn it!” Was the last thing Ray heard when he closed the panel. The three thieves laughed as they made their escape: back to scaling walls and columns, and in no time they were running on the bridge leading out of the empire.

“Who knew that would be so easy?” Ray called out to the others as they sprinted, “I think Lady Luck is on our side, guys! This is gonna be a big day, I can feel it!”

…

Prompto made the finishing touches onto his painting, outlining a stream of white with a contented sigh. After he finished, he put away his supplies and looked at his masterpiece.

On the wall was a painting of a boy with flowing white hair looking up at floating lights coming from the horizon. He sat on a cliff side, watching as the lights filled the inky black sky. It's what he always dreamed of for as long as he can remember, and maybe tomorrow...it would be a reality.

Now that he was maturing into a young man eighteen years of age, maybe his father would finally let him venture out into the world, just to see the lights at least once up close. He'd always been too scared to ask him, but now...

“Okay, Prompto, focus...” He whispered to himself, climbing down from the fireplace, “It's your big day. You're going to ask father! You can do this, come on...”

He didn't feel ready, though. But before he could even have a chance to prepare, he heard a voice call out from the outside.

“Prompto~!” His father called in a sing-song voice, “Let down your hair for me!”

Prompto sucked in a breath, trying to calm his nerves.

“Okay, okay...” He muttered, “It's now or never...”

“Prompto?” His father sounded a tad impatient as Prompto walked over to the window and opened it, “I'm not getting any younger down here!”

“Sorry, father!” Prompto called back, wrapping a part of his hair around a hook above the window and throwing the rest of it down. His father grabbed his hair and wrapped it around his hand, creating a loop for him to step into.

Prompto took a deep breath and tugged, the familiar dull pain didn't bother him, but it was still difficult to tug his father up with just his hair. But he could do it. He stepped back further into the tower, breathing heavily as he tugged more, until finally, his father emerged.

Ardyn removed his hood, his wild, crimson hair being revealed as he stepped onto the window sill. He removed his son's hair from the hook as Prompto fought to catch his breath.

“W-Welcome home, father!” He said happily, standing as straight as he could. Ardyn smiled at him.

“Oh, my boy, it's good to be home.” He said, stepping down in front of him as he put a hand on his shoulder, “But honestly, it's very impressive how you manage to do that every single day without fail! Isn't it exhausting?”

“Oh, well...” Prompto chuckled, “It's nothing, really.”

“Then why on Eos does it take so long?” His father asked, before chuckling heartily, “Oh, I'm just teasing! Don't take it personally!”

Ardyn walked off towards a full body mirror in the corner of the room as Prompto laughed awkwardly. His father didn't seem to note how the words affected him, but whatever. Prompto stood beside him as Ardyn examined his face carefully.

“So, uh, father..” He started, “I know you know, but tomorrow is-”

“Prompto, boy, look in the mirror, would you?” Ardyn interrupted, snaking a hand around his shoulders, “Do you know what's before you? Standing there is a strong, confident, handsome young lad.”

Prompto smiled, standing straighter. He was about to thank him when his father suddenly gasped.

“Oh my, you're there as well!” He exclaimed before laughing again, “Oh, don't worry, what have I told you about taking things so personally?”

Just like that, Prompto deflated. He shook his head.

_No! I can't lose confidence like that!_

Prompto took a deep breath and attempted to continue as his father resumed examining himself.

“Well, father, like I was sa-”

His father suddenly frowned, looking at his hand before sighing deeply.

“Prompto, your father is feeling very tired after the trip.” He said, “Would you mind terribly if you sang for me? Then we'll talk, I promise.”

“Oh!” Prompto exclaimed. Easy enough! Then his father will have his full attention! “Yeah, totally! One sec!”

Prompto ran off, grabbing the big chair his father loved to sit in as he brushed his hair. He placed it on the ground, then grabbed his stool as his father walked slowly over to where he was. Prompto put the stool down, then forced his father into his seat. Ardyn looked at him curiously, noting his odd behavior as Prompto grabbed a hair brush and forced it into his hand, then his hair, before finally sitting down.

_Flowergleamandglowletyourpowershine--_

Prompto was singing too fast, he knew this, but he really wanted to get it over with. Ardyn gasped as the hair began to glow.

“Wait, wait!”

_Maketheclockreversebringbackwhatoncewasmine--_

Ardyn was struggling to brush his hair like normal, brushing madly in order to match his son's pace.

“I said wait!”

_Healwhathasbeenhurtchangethefate'sdesignbringbackwhatoncewaslostbringbackwhatoncewasmine--_

Just like that, it was over. Ardyn huffed, throwing Prompto's hair and brush down, looking at him with nothing but annoyance.

“Prompto! What has gotten into you?!” He demanded. Prompto scooted his stool forward, putting a hand over his father's.

“Okay, so,” He began, “I was trying to tell you that tomorrow is a _huge_ day but I don't really think you were listening but...it's my birthday!”

Prompto threw up jazz hands.

“Ta-da~!”

Ardyn sighed, a tired look on his face.

“I don't think that's correct, my boy.” He said, “I remember it clearly: your birthday was last year, was it not?”

Prompto laughed, “That's the thing! Birthdays are, y'know, kinda annual!”

The boy sighed, sitting back more calmly now that he was finally able to say what he wanted.

“Father, I'm eighteen tomorrow, and...well...” He ran a hand through his hair nervously as his voice lowered, “What I want for this birthday, well...I've wanted this for _quite_ some time now...”

“Prompto, boy, stop with the mumbling!” His father scolded, “You know how I feel when you do that! It's so annoying, son.”

His father pinched his cheek, smiling once more.

“I'm just teasing! I love you so much, my boy!”

His father suddenly stood and went to where he left his basket when he arrived, emptying its contents as Prompto bit his lip.

Should he really do this? He was starting to doubt himself. But, he tried to gather his resolve: he's wanted this for his whole life, and now he's suddenly just not going to ask? No, he wouldn't allow it.

“Father, I want to see the floating lights!” He exclaimed. His father stopped, turning his head to look at him curiously.

“The what?” He asked. Prompto walked over to his painting, gesturing to it.

“Well, actually, I really wanted you to take me to see the floating lights!” He explained. His father looked at the painting, then to him as a strange look appeared on his face.

“Oh, those?” He asked, “You can see them from your window. You _do_ know they're called stars, correct?”

“That's the thing!” Prompto continued, “Father, all stars look the same, but these appear on my birthday! _Only_ on my birthday! I-I just feel like they're calling to me!”

He turned back to the painting, failing to see his father scowl and walk away towards the window.

“I want to see them in person, not from my window! Father, I want to know what they are!”

The window suddenly slammed, and Prompto jumped and looked over to see his father, one hand on the window. He scoffed with a smirk, walking back over to him.

“You want to go outside?” He asked, “That's a foolish idea. You're just as fragile as a little flower.”

Prompto felt himself wilting like one, too. Maybe this wasn't the best idea.

“Do you remember why we stay in this tower?” His father asked, Prompto nodded in response.

“I know, but-”

“Yes! To keep you safe and sound!” Prompto was interrupted once more. His father suddenly frowned, “Everything I've done has been to protect you from the horrors of the world! But...I suppose I always knew this day would be coming.”

“Huh?”

“You rebellious teens, wanting to leave your poor, old parents behind!” His father wailed, “Wanting to leave us alone to die!”

“What?! Father, no!” Prompto touched his arm, “No, no that's not what I mean, I-!”

“Go ahead, then! Leave me alone!” His father dismissed him as he lowered himself into his chair again, “I'm just your one and only father, what could I possibly know? I only raised you...”

Prompto bit his lip, guilt rising in him. His father was right, how could he do that to him? Ardyn glanced up at him, his sorrowful look replaced with a sneer.

“Besides, you really think you could survive out there?” He asked, and Prompto flinched, about to answer when the older man interjected, “You're very prone to spacing out, my boy. You can't just sit still, and let's not forget you were afraid of the dark until you were ten.”

Prompto looked down, rubbing his upper arm. His guilt was replaced by only shame. He knows his flaws all too well, but he didn't think they would get him _harmed_ outside of the tower.

“I'm only say this because I love you, but you _can't_ leave. People and bandits will find you, chop your hair off or even worse: kill you! As your father, I can't let that happen to you, you need to stay here where it's safe!”

“But...if you go with me, you can protect me, right?” Prompto suggested, and was only met with a shaking head.

“There's only so much I can do. What if you get distracted by something run off? Then what? You'll surely be kidnapped...”

“No!”

“Or enslaved...”

“Father!”

“Or just sold off somewhere far away.” Ardyn finished with a shrug, “There's not a single good thing in the outside world, Prompto.”

His father stood up, walking over to him. Prompto met his eyes as hands were placed on his shoulders.

“My boy, what have I always told you?” He asked. Prompto sighed, looking away.

“...Father knows best.”

“That's right, so...” The grip on his shoulders tightened, and Prompto couldn't help but wince, “Since I know best, you will never _ever_ ask to leave this tower again, isn't that right?

Prompto was quiet for a moment before nodding.

“...Yes, father.”

His father clicked his tongue, suddenly pulling him close. That made Prompto smile as he wrapped his arms tightly around his father. A hand was run through his hair, and Prompto didn't feel so bad anymore.

“I love you very much, son.”

“I love you more.”

“I love you most.”

Prompto pulled away, and smiled wider when his father was smiling down at him. The man sighed as he looked towards the closed window.

“Ah, I've only gotten ingredients for lunch...” He commented before looking back, “I'll have to leave again, but I will return shortly with dinner.”

Prompto was a bit disappointed, but he nodded. He knew how to cook on his own, anyway. He escorted his father out the tower, his hair being used once more.

“I'll see you shortly, my flower!” He called once he was on the ground. Prompto waved, resting his chin on his hand.

“I'll be here...”

Prompto sighed sadly, removing his hair from the hook and letting it flow in the wind. He stayed like that for a moment, wanting to enjoy the fresh air before returning into his tower.

…

Turns out, Lady Luck wasn't on Ray's side. He really shouldn't have opened his stupid mouth.

The guards had found them, and were chasing them on their chocobos. Ray hated the damn things, they were like giant, glorified hound dogs. Thankfully, they lost them for only a moment and stopped to catch their breaths. Ray leaned against a tree while Ravus and Loqi stood hunched over with their hands on their knees.

Ray looked at the tree and gasped in horror. There, on the trunk, were two wanted posters for the three of them. Ray ripped one off and looked at it in dismay.

“Guys, guys this is bad.” He said, “This is really, really, bad!”

He showed them the poster, revealing a drawing of himself but with an exaggerated nose.

“They can't get my nose right!”

His companions stood up straight, glaring at them.

“Why should we care about that?” Loqi asked. Noctis rolled his eyes, pointing at his.

“Well, _you_ guys look amazing in yours!”

Ravus opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a foreboding _kweh._

Noctis turned and looked at the cliff above them. Standing there was the royal guard on their chocobos, and in the center, was Cor Leonis himself. He was captain of the guard, and the most feared man in all of Eos. Cor glared at them and turned his chocobo, no doubt finding a way down to get to them.

“We need to go!” Ravus commanded, already running. Noctis hastily shoved his poster in his satchel and followed behind Loqi, heart pounding with both fear and adrenaline. The three jumped over roots and rocks, desperately trying to find a way out of their situation.

They turned a corner, and was met with a large cliff. Ray studied it, immediately getting an idea that would probably get him killed.

“O-Okay, guys,” He started, “I need you guys to give me a boost, and I'll pull you both up.”

Ravus and Loqi looked at each other before looking back to him. Loqi narrowed his eyes, holding his hand out.

“Give us the satchel, first.”

Ray gasped, “What? After all this time, you don't trust me?!”

The two simply stared at him, and Ray felt genuinely offended.

“Ouch.” Was all he said as he reluctantly dropped the satchel in Loqi's hand. He put it on as Ravus leaned on the rock. Loqi climbed on his shoulders and looked back towards Ray and nodded.

Ray immediately climbed up the two like a tree, maybe or maybe not purposefully stepping on Loqi's face as he did so. He hoisted himself up over the cliff, and looked down at the other two.

“Our turn, Ray, help us up!” Loqi demanded. Ray looked at his extended hand and shook his head.

“Sorry, guys.” He said. He then smirked as he held up his satchel.

“My hands are full!”

As Ray ran away, the only thing he heard was the sound of his breathing and Loqi yelling his name in absolute fury. He felt bad, but sometimes, you just had to look after your own skin.

He heard the sounds of chocobos behind him and cursed to himself, willing himself to run faster. Behind him, he heard Cor call out to the guards.

“Get that satchel no matter what!” He roared. The guards yelled back in acknowledgment, and Cor's chocobo _kweh'd_ to the other chocobos.

Damn, that thing could communicate?

Ray really did hate chocobos with every fiber of his being.

He slid under a tree and didn't even look back as he kept running. His lungs and limbs were on fire, and he only dreamed of a well deserved nap after all of this. He slid down a hill, the guards gaining on him. He cursed, jumping a high tree branch, and he heard them give up their chase for only a moment,

He looked back only to watch as Cor also jumped the branch, eyes filled with determination and fury.

“Oh, _fuck_ you.” He muttered, then looked forward again. He spotted a rock and a lone vine hanging from the tree and, once again, came up with another bright idea.

He used the rock to boost his jump, grabbing onto the vine and swinging around the tree. When he made the full circle, he saw Cor's shocked face as he kicked him off his own chocobo and landed atop of it.

Ray gave himself a mental pat on the back for things finally going his way. Now, all he had to do, was get somewhere safe.

“C'mon!” He snapped the reigns of the chocobo, “Faster! Faster!”

The chocobo suddenly came to a sharp halt, and Ray had to stop himself from flying off it completely. The chocobo was glaring at him, and Ray felt that the feeling was neutral.

“Seriously? I don't have time for this!” He yelled, “Go! Forward! C'mon!”

The chocobo stopped glaring at him and looked down, and Ray's blood went cold when he saw what it was looking at.

The satchel was still on his person, and the chocobo must have remembered its orders. It snapped its orange beak at it, and Ray had to twist his body to keep it from it.

“Hey! No!” He ordered, but the chocobo only snapped again until it was going around and around in a full circle. Ray was shoving the chocobo's head back, but that only made the damn bird more determined. In a moment of desperation, Ray went to slide the satchel off in order to hold it farther away, but one wrong move made him lose grip on it.

Ray and the chocobo both watched as the satchel soared into the air, until finally landing on a branch of a fallen tree, hanging above a large cliff.

Just how many damn cliffs were in these woods?

Ray and the chocobo looked at each other, but Ray made the first move. He jumped off of it, making a run for the tree. The chocobo acted fast, knocking Ray down and _kweh_ -ing madly. Ray grabbed it, throwing it down and trying again.

The chocobo knocked him down once more and finally landed on the tree, walking carefully so the tree didn't fall. Ray saw his opportunity. He jumped on the chocobo once more, and attempted to jump in front of it, but almost fell off entirely.

He managed to grab the tree and wrapped his arms and legs around it, looking up at the chocobo in horror. The chocobo glared at him, attempting to stomp on his hands.

Who knew chocobos were so damn homicidal? Thankfully, Ray managed to dodge its feet, crawling and crawling towards the steadily falling satchel.

It fell off the branch, but Ray managed to grab it just in time. He held it up in front of the chocobo, laughing.

“In your face!” He gloated. Yeah, he was gloating to a chocobo, but he didn't care. He worked too hard for it.

He felt the tree crack, and he bounced as tree gave way a little bit.

“Oh, fuck-”

The tree snapped, and both he and the chocobo were sent tumbling down.

They looked at each other before looking back to their impending doom. They both let out screams of terror as the tree hit a rock, snapping in half as they went soaring into different directions. Ray's screams echoed in the forest, and distantly, he heard the chocobo's _kwehs_ of distress.

Ray hit the ground, tumbling down a hill. His world spun as he hit twigs, rocks, and even roots. He finally came to a stop, looking up at the blue sky as he tried to regain his senses.

Well, he survived. And he still had the crown. That had to count for something, right?

His body ached, but he forced himself to sit up. He groaned as he rested his head in his hand.

“Gods damnit.” He hissed. He used a tree as support as he slowly stood up. His legs shook and every breath he took felt sharp and painful. He leaned his whole body on the tree, letting the ache calm down as best as it could.

He looked around, the reality of his predicament settling in. He was lost in the woods, a chocobo chasing him, and two other men (assuming the guards didn't find him, of course).

He really fucked up.

In the distance, he heard a _kweh,_ and his heart stopped. Cor's chocobo didn't die after all. In that case, he needed to leave. Soon.

He forced his body to walk, stumbling a bit before he regained his balance. He needed to go quick. Who knew when the chocobo would find him again? Ray walked for a few moments before he needed to catch his breath. He raised his hand to put it against a wall of leaves.

His hand fell through. There was no rock on the other side.

“What the hell?” He muttered, raising the leaves slightly. On the other side was a cave. It wasn't the best arrangement, but he could lay low for a while within the safety of the cave. With no other options, he dove through.

He expected complete darkness on the other side, but in the distance he saw a literal light at the end of the tunnel. Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked the rest of the way. What could be on the other side?

He emerged from the other side, and the light blinded him for a moment. He covered his eyes and waited for them to adjust.

That's when he saw it. A tower.

Made entirely of stones overrun by nature, vines crawling up until about halfway up its body. A pointed roof colored a deep purple, and one singular window. It was in a clearing, with a bright field and a waterfall crashing behind it. At least it was welcoming, but still, Ray could only think: what the hell.

He'd scoured maps of this land for ages due to his less-than-legal occupation, and not _once_ had he even heard a whisper about some mysterious tower deep in the woods. It gave off a creepy aura, just standing there alone. Perhaps it was abandoned. Or some creepy serial killer living alone in there, waiting for curious victims. Knowing Ray's luck, both were entirely possible.

Ray shook his head to break himself free of his confused, star-struck daze. He was beginning to think: wow, maybe he shouldn't go into a creepy tower in the middle of nowhere where no one will ever find his body. He was about to turn when he heard a distant _kweh –_ Cor's chocobo. He wasn't stupid. He knew that damned feathered monstrosity would never give up the chase – not while he was alive and able to be found.

Unless....he _wasn't_ able to be found.

Ray made up his mind: stay in the tower for a night and move on in the morning. If he was lucky, he could probably find some stuff to swipe for money. None as valuable as the crown, of course, but maybe valuable enough to take a glance at.

With a purpose, Ray advanced towards the tower. It wasn't as creepy up close, maybe the adrenaline of not wanting to be found had something to do with that. Ray reached into his satchel and pulled out two arrows. It wasn't like he knew the first thing about shooting a bow: but Ravus did. Perhaps he would thank him if he ever saw him again.

Assuming he didn't kill him on sight, of course.

Ray struck the first arrow into a crack between the stone, and did the same with the second arrow just above the first one.

Up and up he went, climbing quickly on the off chance the chocobo found the place. He was breathing heavily, he totally misjudged the height of the tower: but he was determined. The thought of a long, comfortable nap after this was over filled him up with the willpower to make the climb.

Finally, he reached the window. He gripped the sill, heaving himself up and over, tumbling into the tower. He sat there for a moment, catching his breath before he quickly shot up and slammed the window shut. He shoved the arrows back into his satchel and leaned against the window, continuing to catch his breath.

“Ugh...” He groaned, standing up straight and looking at his satchel. He opened it, looking at his prize, “At least it was a little bit worth-”

Before he could finish that thought, there was an ache in the back of his head, and the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how the fuck to write action scenes but I hope I did it right---
> 
> Anyway! As always, thank you for reading! And if you need me, feel free to contact my writing blog @nyedrabbles!

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to song that plays during the prologue of Tangled on repeat to keep myself motivated to write this l m a o---
> 
> Anyway uhhhhhhh yeah!!! If you liked it, please show some supports by commenting or giving a kudo!!! If you wanna find me, feel free to message my writing blog on Tumblr, @nyedrabbles!


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